Thanet

Thanet's population grew in the 10 years leading up to the latest census. Data from the census also show there were changes in religion, housing tenure and health.

The population passed 130,000

In the decade to 2011, the population of Thanet increased by 5.9%, from almost 127,000 to 134,000.

The addition of just under 7,500 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Thanet was home to, on average, 9.3 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres).

Population density was higher than the average across the South East

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across the South East, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

Disablity in Thanet

Census 2011 data also show a change in the proportion of disabled people here.

The percentage of Thanet residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability increased from 3.9% in 2001 to 4.9% in 2011.

The proportion who reported being limited a little in their day-to-day activities remained close to 6.7%, while the percentage of Thanet residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability decreased from 89% to 88%.

The proportion of people who are considerably limited by a long-term health problem or disability increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South East (from 2.5% in 2001 to 3.2% in 2011). Across England, the proportion increased from 3.1% to 3.8%.

The proportion of people who are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability in Thanet increased by 1 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Thanet, the South East and England that reported being considerably limited in their day-to-day activities, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Thanet

The number of people in Thanet that described themselves as having no religion increased from just over 20,000 in 2001 to just over 38,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 16% to 29% of the local population.

The percentage increased by more than the average across the South East (from 17% to 28%) and the average across England (from 15% to 25%).

The number of people in Thanet that described themselves as Christian decreased from about 93,000 in 2001 to just over 82,000 in 2011 (from 74% to 61%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation decreased from about 11,000 to about 9,900 (from 9.0% to 7.4%).

About 1,200 people (0.5%) said they were Muslim, up from just over 620 in 2001 (0.9%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population without a religion in Thanet increased by 13 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Thanet by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of privately rented homes increased in Thanet at a faster rate than in nearby Dover.

In Thanet, the proportion of private renting increased from 15% in 2001 to 24% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in Dover increased from 10% to 17%.

Across the South East, the share of privately rented homes increased from 10% to 16%.

The rate of social housing in Thanet remained close to 13%, while the rate of home ownership decreased from 70% to 62%.

Private renting in Thanet increased by 9.3 percentage points

Percentage of households in Thanet, the South East and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Thanet residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 11% to 7.5% in the decade to 2011.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just under 8 in 10 (76%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 63% in 2001. The percentage of Thanet residents that described their health as fair decreased from 26% to 17%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South East (from 7.2% in 2001 to 4.4% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Thanet decreased by 3.6 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Thanet, the South East and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

Ethnicity in Thanet

The number of people in Thanet from the White ethnic groups increased from just over 120,000 in 2001 to about 130,000 in 2011. However, as a percentage of the total population, this represented a decrease from 98% to 96%.

The percentage decreased by less than the average across the South East (from 95% to 91%) and the average across England (from 91% to 85%).

The number of people in Thanet from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups increased from about 1,200 in 2001 to just over 2,500 in 2011 (from 0.9% to 1.9%). The number of residents from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed) increased from just under 1,100 to just under 2,200 (from 0.8% to 1.6%).

About 910 people (0.3%) said they were from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups, up from just under 430 in 2001 (0.7%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the ethnic profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between ethnic groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population from the White ethnic groups in Thanet decreased by 2.2 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Thanet by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

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Area report data

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